Five Liverpool players who continued their indifferent starts to the season at Upton Park.
Liverpool’s start to the 2014/15 Premier League season has been in the stark contrast to the rampant way that they finished the last campaign, with this afternoon’s 3-1 reverse at West Ham United being the third defeat for Brendan Rodgers’ men out of their five Premier League fixtures so far.
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With teenager Raheem Sterling perhaps being the only member of Rodgers’ troops to have appeared at Upton Park who can truly hold their head high after the game, there is plenty for the Reds to improve on in the coming week as they prepare for a League Cup tie against Middlesbrough.
These five players, in particular, really need to up their games:
Steven Gerrard
The long-serving Liverpool captain seems to have largely escaped criticism during the club’s start to the season, but his lack of form in central midfield has contributed as much as anything else to their shaky form. This was on display again at Upton Park, with Gerrard largely being peripheral and unable to drive the team forward at a tempo which was going to get them back into the match once two early goals from the Hammers had given Sam Allardyce’s team the initiative.